Ancient chess strategy guide found
GORIZIA, Italy, Dec. 29 — A study of the game of chess by Renaissance mathematician Luca Pacioli has been discovered in northern Italy after it was feared lost.
The 48-page manuscript, complete with detailed illustrations, was found by Italian book expert Duilio Contin in a library in the Palazzo Coronini Cronberg, ANSA reported Friday. Contin made the discovery while looking through the literary possessions of the last count of Coronini, Guglielmo. Guglielmo died in 1990 and acquired the manuscripts in 1963.
Scholars knew of the manuscript’s existence when it was cited in other works, but the document itself was believed to have been permanently lost.
The manuscript, which experts have already confirmed was written by Pacioli, explains the rules and strategies of chess and features several highly detailed drawings, the news service reported.
In addition to being one of Leonardo da Vinci’s tutors, Pacioli, born in 1445, is considered the father of modern accounting.
Source: UPI
Paccioli was also the founder of double-entry bookkeeping. This is the basis of modern accounting. He must have been quite a guy.
If he was born in 1445, then this is a 15th century book. Still, it’s an exciting find. I love it when old books and manuscripts are recovered. I hope the text and illustrations will be published online somewhere.
I wonder whether there exists a .PDF file of this book’s pages?
Did anything in the book sound anything like:
“Just sacrifice anything if you get a chance; it would make end a glorious fight even if you lose instead of a dull boring game.”
I bet Kramnik would have been burnt alive in the era for heresy…
In the 15th century they knew nothing about chess, comparisoned to today. The discovery is worthless, though great for time-wasters.
so why do you waste your time posting that an old book is a waste of time.
Negativity will get you no where.
Being able to get a copy of such a book hopefully with a translation would be very nice.
His double entry book keeping is out of date also. Now we cook the books. haha. ask Enron or any modern American politician.
So, is this a guide to modern chess, or to Persian chess? Does this give us a game older than Castellvi-Vinoles, 1485?